The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-25
The Slayer and Victim.

In the APPEAL Of December IL, 1885,
appeared the following account OF the
killing:
The lobby of the Peabody Hotel
was the scene yesterday afternoon of
a fearful tragedy, resulting in the
death of James T. Dalton, better
known as Tom Dalton, The killing
was dyne by L. R. Goodwin, the son Of
Mr. John r. Goodwin, president of the
Mercanti Bank. When the APPEAL
reporter arrived upon the scene the
space between the doors and the
office of the hall was packed by a
sutgipg Gro Vd of men, eager to get a
glimpse Of the dead man. Some stood
on the settees that line one side of the
wall, others occupied positions on the
stairway leading to the upper floor. 1t
was difficult for the police to keep
clear a sufficient space around the
body TO enable physician, who was
bending over the young man, 10 probe
the wounds. He inserted his probe
into each of the four gaping wounds
that conf. onted him and enteav-
ored to trace each leaden mes
senger to its fatal destiua.
ton, and a. he went along he drew
diagram with pencil OF the direction
OF elcn bullet. There was really no
nei essity fer go protracted All exam
ination, as it was evident that each OF
the four wounds was fatal. Death
must have eDsusd instantly unon the
il fl elton of he first wound. The ball
struck him in the center of the neck,
iuat above the co lar bone. the other
shots lodged: One through the heart,
one in tue pit of the stomach and
fourth on the right side at Joint
almost opposite the wound in the
heart, thu four wounds outlining
rectangular figure in the chaps of
diamond. The body lay where il fell,
The feet under the tee where he was
81 ting when he met his death, the
head pointing in the direction Of the
Office II was a hand some and boyish
face OF clear cut features that
Law there pallid as marble, a
light bl lnde moustache covering bis
lip ana short curly hair Of the same
shade clirging 10 his we'll shaped head.
He was rather below the medium
hight, and of slender bnild, aud ap-
pa entity about % years OF age. Deputy
Coroner Barry, as soon as the pnysi-
clan had concluded his exami alton,
summoned the following CoroneI's
Jury to holl an inquest on the re.
mains: w. B. Gates, Peter Tracv,
w. W. Humphrey, g. E. Tate, H. B.
Schloss and Geo. Dent.
The first witness examined was
Clerk Tuley, of the Peabody Hotel,
who said: About 4:l5 o'clock this sf-
ternoon l was standing at the desk,
when gentleman came 10 and looked
over the register. He was not person
ally known to me. Alter looking at
the register he started toward the front
door when, for soma cause, he stopped
turned back and heard ri t d shot.
Saw man reel aud fall off the set;ee
onto the floor. Saw two or three shots
fired in quick succession after the first
one. Did not hear deceased say a
word. Jumped out Of the Office al d
ran over to where the nsn lay. Don't
know the man who did the shooting.
II ave heard his name since.
John l.. Snstd, manager of the
Memphis Baseball Club, test e I'd: l
YVES standing az the desk, taking with
Mr.. Tuley, and somebody came and
looked over the register, and in a sec.
Dad more l heard a p stol shot.
didn't stay around very long to see
what wss goiog on. l saw this man
reel off the seats there, and as l was
getting out OF the way l heard the
second shot. got away from there
az quick ss l could, and went into the
telephone hole, and l stayed there
until the shooting was over. 1 don't
know The man who did the shooting
Could not identity him. Saw The de-
Cessed in st. Louis in October.
ID. W Brosdhurst testified: was in
Wright Br g store, and through the
glass door leading into the hotel saw
q man standing with pistol pointe d
at msD, and as l opened the door
saw this man reel from one OF the
seats aud fal on the floor. | taw { 10
man shoot him three times after he
was on The q ior, ons right after an.
other. started after him, and he
wei over toward the cigar stand and
threw his pistol on the case. 1 started
for him and grabbed him, and turned
him over 10 pc iceman At the do r,
and then came right back TO Tom
Dal on and turned MIN over and held
him in my arms until he died. He
never spoke a word from the time
he'd him un il he died. He fell right
Al. La l. = = 4 !.